Yakima County Wellhead Protection Plan

Yakima County’s water system consists of the former Terraced Estates Water Company (TEWC) and the former Country Club District Water Company (CCDWC). Yakima County assumed ownership and operation of the TEWC system in 1991, and the CCDWC system in 1994. The 2 systems were combined in 1996 and are now called the Terrace Heights Water System.

The County has total certified water rights in the amount of 4,858 acre-feet. The County’s sources have historically provided high quality water.

Wellhead Protection Area Delineations
The County's wellhead protection areas (WHPA) were delineated using an analytical model. The table below summarizes the acreage covered by each WHPA.

Analytical Model Area (Acres)

Source

6-Month

1-Year

5-Year

10-Year

Well Number 1

2.3

4.8

46.4

182.8

Well Number 2

2.7

4.7

17.4

36.0

Well Number 3

1.5

2.2

7.8

15.8

Well Number 4 and 5

7.1

14.5

129.6

463.3

Well Number 6

3.9

9.4

111.9

405.6

Inventory of Potential Contaminant Sources
After delineating the WHPAs associated with the County’s wells, an inventory of existing and potential sources of groundwater contamination (PDF) was compiled and mapped. High risk potential contamination sources located near the County's wells include underground storage tanks, leaking underground storage tanks, moderate risk businesses, and agricultural land which may be susceptible to pesticide use.

Contingency Plan
The County's contingency plan consists of the following components:

Susceptibility Assessments: The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has ranked all of the County's wells as having a low susceptibility to contamination except for Well Number 5, which was ranked moderate.

Source Deficiencies: The County can currently meet the existing and 20-year projected maximum day demand with all sources in service as required by the DOH. However, if the County's largest well (Well Number 3) becomes contaminated, the County will not be able to meet its 20-year projected maximum day demand by approximately 700 gallons per minute. The County plans to drill a well or increase the pumping capacity of an existing well in the next 6 years to provide for additional source redundancy and source capacity.

Emergency Response: The County has developed an emergency response plan that includes an emergency call-up list and response procedures for spills, fires, and water supply contamination.

Short-Term and Long-Term Water Supplies: Bottled water and tanker trucks represent the most appropriate short-term alternative water supply for the County in an emergency situation. The County's water system is located 1-half mile from the City of Yakima and this intertie could also be explored as a short- or long-term water supply source. New source development, intertie development, and groundwater remediation are the most appropriate long-term alternatives.

Local Management Plan
Local management efforts adopted by the County include:

Posting of street signs at wellhead protection area boundaries

Distribution of literature

Notification of residences and businesses within the County's wellhead protection areas